Lovina Eicher: Eighth graders show families their cooking skills

It is the first day of spring. The temperature is staying around the freezing mark this morning. I am hoping we will see some sun to make it seem more like spring.

Yesterday it rained but I didn’t mind as much.

Some of our church women gathered to have a quilting. The two quilts are being made for the benefit auction for the Community Health Center. The patterns of the quilts were Lonestar Fan and Beavers Weavers. I helped on the Beavers Weavers and it was a little confusing until you figured out where to quilt on it.

We all packed our lunches so everyone could stay quilting and not have to take time to make lunch. I enjoy quilting so the day went fast. Daughter Verena did some more cleaning out of drawers and mopped the floors while I was gone all day. It seems the floors get tracked up faster with the ground thawing and snow melting.

Saturday daughter Susan helped her friend Mose cook maple syrup. Mose took over cooking the maple syrup this year that this Dad usually cooks. They have a lot of maple trees. It was a neat experience for Susan. Mose’s family gave us maple syrup last year and the children like it better than pancake syrup. Susan didn’t realize all the work that goes into making maple syrup and neither did I. We never cooked our own so it’s interesting to hear about how it’s done.

Last Thursday evening son Benjamin’s eighth grade class prepared supper for their parents, grandparents and siblings. Their teacher does a wonderful job in guiding these young students how to cook and prepare a meal for around 100 people or more.

Our family of 10 attended and the food was delicious. The menu was: mashed potatoes, gravy, meatloaf, meat balls, green beans, dinner rolls and butter, tossed salad, brownies, ice cream, milk, and coffee. The eighth graders did a great job in serving us. We then had a lot of laughs and were entertained by comedian Craig Tournquist. He was a great encouragement to the eighth graders as how to have a successful life ahead. We then all split into groups to listen to the exit interviews and presentations of the eighth grader’s portfolios. It was interesting to hear of what each one had for their goal in life.

For the four Amish boys in this class it is their final year of school, while their classmates will all go on to high school. May God guide each of them in the path they choose.

On the way home from school we had planned to stop at Elizabeth’s friend Timothy’s house to see the little foal his horse had delivered a few days earlier. It was such a cold, windy evening Joe and I decided to come on home. Elizabeth, Benjamin and Joseph stopped to see the foal. It is always exciting to see a frisky newborn foal.

This is a cold March for newborn foals to be born in. Our horse Ginger was born in March 10 years ago. Our horse Itty Bit delivered her six days after our move from Indiana to Michigan. We still have both horses. Blessings to all.

For those of you that are fortunate enough to have maple syrup, try this pie!

Maple custard pie

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

9 tablespoons flour

9 egg yolks

6 tablespoons maple syrup

3 /4 teaspoon salt

6 cups scalded milk

Frosting:

9 egg whites, beaten

3 /4 teaspoon salt

18 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour and brown sugar and press into 3 unbaked pie crusts. Beat egg yolks and add maple syrup, salt and milk, and carefully and pour this mixture over the sugar mixture. Do not mix. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower to 325 and bake for 23-30 minutes. Top with frosting and brown.